RALEIGH, N.C. — Two Good Samaritans, including a Winston-Salem man, died Thursday evening when they were struck by a hit and run driver while coming to the aid of a truck driver whose cab had spun out on I-40 near Garner.

Around 8 p.m. Thursday, Cardell Gayfield, of Clayton, was driving a bobtail tractor with no trailer west on I-40 near the Wake-Johnston County line when his cab spun out of control and came to a stop next to the road.

Gayfield placed reflectors in the road and tried to move his truck out of the lane of traffic, according to the State Highway Patrol.

Larry Kepley, 39, of Winston-Salem, was driving a tractor-trailer on I-40 when he spotted Gayfield’s disabled tractor and stopped to assist.

A short time later, Nathaniel Williams, of Hope Mills, and another driver swerved to the right of Gayfield’s truck to avoid a collision, and both cars went down an embankment. Williams then exited his car and walked up the embankment to give assistance, according to the Highway Patrol.

As Kepler and Williams were standing behind Gayfield’s disabled bobtail tractor, they were struck by a 2001 Volvo.

Kepley and Williams both died in the accident.

The driver of the Volvo, Marshall H. Doran, 21, of Kure Beach, fled the scene.

The Wake County Sheriff’s Office and Raleigh Police Department established a perimeter and a State Highway Patrol helicopter assisted in the search. Doran had been hiding in a wooded area, but gave himself up to a Wake County sheriff’s deputy, according to the State Highway Patrol.

Doran was turned over to the State Highway Patrol and taken to the Wake County Jail.

Doran was charged with two counts of second degree murder, two counts of driving while intoxicated, felony hit and run, careless and reckless driving and drug possession.

73 comments

Will Grant

oh, brother…all you people trying to defend this p.o.s. who “panicked” (real men assume responsibility…punks “panic”)…you really think the fact that you “know him personally” means anything to anyone…pathetic